Of Ice and Mist
by Zachana16
Summary: Five years have passed since he and Zabuza were killed. A mysterious force has drawn Haku back from death and placed him on the path to redemption, but who's redemption is he fighting for? His own, or for the only person to have have faith in him.
1. Of Ice and Mist

Of Ice and Mist

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. If I did, I would never have let Haku and Zabuza die like that. Such a sad episode. Anyway, on with the fiction.

Chapter One: A new beginning

It seemed as if he'd been walking forever. Lost in a dream world of memory, he journeyed on, wondering where it was he was meant to be going. He was lost, lonely, and desperate. Nothing was making any sense. Where could he be? Where was the other? Where had Zabuza-san gone?

Nothing could hurt worse than not knowing where the one he regarded as his most precious thing was. It just hurt so much. He remembered the battle, remembered the pain. He was heartsick, wishing for a place to go. He had no clue as to where he had gone, or where he had been. He couldn't recall where he had been before he had entered this hell, but he thought it might have been very peaceful and wondered why he ever left.

_"If I could, I'd like to go to the same place as you."_

The ebony haired boy whirled around at the sound of the voice, but no one was there. It was something his mind had simply supplied for him as an answer to his previous question.

"Zabuza-san, I will find you again, even if it takes me forever. I swear it to you."

He looked up at the shining sun overhead and wondered how long it would really take him to keep that promise. It hurt being alone again. He could survive alone of course, he was a shinobi, but being alone again after so long with a constant companion was painful. He missed the constant reassuring presence that always seemed to emanate from the man that trained him.

He hadn't been alone like this since he was a small child. Memories of that time were clouded, but he remembered meeting Zabuza-san very well. He had been saved by the jounin. Zabuza was a demon of the mist; Haku was a child of the ice. They made the most deadly combination in the village.

He'd woken up in the clothes he wore when he wasn't fighting, which made him wonder who had changed his clothes while he slept. Not Zabuza-san, the man was too…He didn't have the right word to describe his sensei.

Haku also knew that he'd need to stop somewhere soon. He didn't have any weapons on him, nor did he have any supplies. That would make things difficult, but he'd managed before this. A shinobi always has an alternate route he can take. Zabuza had taught him that. Haku was so unbelievably feminine that he could just waltz right into another village and charm his way into a meal and maybe even some supplies. It had worked before, which had ended in him learning what his sensei deemed the _'Genin distress signal'_. This was weird since the first time he'd actually done it, he was already a Chuunin. Haku smiled slightly to himself as he remembered the day with perfect clarity.

Flashback:  
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Haku laughed flirtatiously at the man behind the counter of the store. He'd been at this for nearly an hour and had managed to obtain several much needed supplies by simply being charming. He was so glad he'd warn this kimono today, even if Zabuza-san did say if made him look very feminine. His girlish good looks had gotten him what he had sitting in a bag next to him now.

Zabuza-san was brooding in the corner while Haku worked his magic. The young boy knew that his sensei was keeping an eye on him even if it seemed he was just being a bored jounin. He didn't like this particular part of town, and had announced as much when they'd arrived, but it was the best place to go to barter. They needed these supplies badly. It was time to leave this area and there would be no telling when or if they'd have another chance to get supplies later on.

Haku turned his attention back to the man at the counter as he drew himself away from his thoughts.

The man gave him a lewd smile then said, "Hey, what do you say we ditch this place and head somewhere a little more….private?"

Haku blinked a minute until he realized what the man meant and instinctively reached for one of his needles.

"No thank you. I have to be going."

"I don't think so, little girl. You'll do exactly what I tell you to do."

Haku never had the chance to grab the needles. He suddenly found himself suspended in the air and forced up against a wall. The needles he'd gotten in his hands clattered to the ground, useless. This was bad. He thrashed against his captor and tried every little trick he knew to get away, but nothing worked with this guy.

Finally, he got desperate and did the one thing he had never done in his life, he screamed. It was a loud, high pitched sound that had Zabuza flinching where he stood. A minute later, Haku found himself lightly flung across the room as his sensei attacked the storeowner with a vehemence that scared even him. All he could do was sit where he had landed and cry, horrified at what had nearly happened to him.

A few minutes later a very irate Zabuza roughly dragged him out of the store. It was the first time Haku would see his sensei in a state of dishevel. The older ninja's hair was wilder than usual and he looked like he wanted to kill something.

When they were safely out of the village Zabuza turned to Haku and sent him the deadliest looking glare he'd ever seen. He said, "Don't you ever, **_ever_**, do that to me again. I don't enjoy having my jounin instincts put on full alert due to a stupid sound."

Haku withered at the intensity in the other man's eyes as he spoke, "What do you mean, sir? What did I do?"

"What did you do? What did you do! It was the fucking Genin Distress Signal, Haku! I can't stand that!"

"But…. I 'm a Chuunin."

"I know that, Haku!"

"Zabuza-san, calm down."

He'd never known his normally quiet master to act this way. It was weird to see him going through the different signs of aggravation. It was even stranger to see him pacing like he was. It made him look like a caged animal.

"What's the 'Genin Distress Signal'?"

"Its something they teach a ninja as a Genin so that they can call their master if anything they can't handle comes at them. Most just know how to by instinct. It drives a Jounin crazy. The sound is set to attract any ninja Jounin or higher to said Genin's aid. Its just something we do. It's an instinct designed to help us protect our Genin, and damned if I don't still have it too."

"Were you worried about me?"

"Don't be stupid Haku. Instincts are instincts. It is in a ninja's best interest to follow their instincts. To ignore them is to accept death. Next time, I won't interfere."

He was silent for a moment before he finished, "Do me a favor, Haku."

"Yes, sir?"

"Don't put yourself in a situation like that again. I don't like hearing the Genin Distress Signal coming out of my Chuunin's mouth. It's unnerving and it offsets my senses."

"Yes sir."

End Flashback

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Haku was so tired now. He could barely keep walking. He was so tired that he didn't even realize he'd wandered into a village until he collapsed at the feet of the last person to see him alive, Naruto Uzamaki.

That's it for this chapter.

Like? Hate?

Please be gentle this is my first Naruto fiction.


	2. Back to the Beginning

Of Ice and Mist

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Chapter Two: Back to the beginning

He could hear voices. They were faint, almost to the point of being indiscernible, but he could still make out several of the words. He heard someone mention a kuionichi, and he wondered what had happened to the girl. He could hear another voice talking about someone wandering in past the guards, meaning they were probably talking about him this time. He knew he needed to open his eyes, to explain himself to whoever had found him, but he couldn't seem to bring his strength to him enough to do so. He was still drained, he didn't even have the strength to defend himself if worse came to worse. Haku knew he was hurt pretty badly and silently wondered if maybe he'd been having a horrible dream and that he'd wake up and his sensei would be next to him, slightly concerned and a little pissed off with his injuries but otherwise fine. Anything would be preferable to the pain he was in.

Haku finally realized that he could speak and gathered his strength around that one fact to say something to the people in the room, though he couldn't even open his eyes to see them. "Sensei? Are you there?"

The sound of footsteps echoed near him in the room and a strong, slightly familiar voice spoke up next to him. "Are you a genin? What's your name? What's the name of your sensei so we can get in contact with him?"

A sharp smacking sound filled the room for a moment. "Don't confuse the poor girl, Naruto! She's been through enough as it is."

Haku found that he now had the strength to open his eyes at last. Dark eyes opened and immediately took in the two people in the room. One had wild blond hair and sharply focused blue eyes. The other, a medic nin, had bright pink hair and pale green eyes. He instantly recognized them. They were older, but they were still the same. Naruto Uzamaki and Sakura Haruno, two of the three genin that had been there the day he'd died.

"N-naruto-san?" He asked, completely unsure of the much older man in front of him.

"How'd you know my name, miss?" He asked, obviously confused by the barely audible voice Haku spoke to him in.

_"You aren't safe here, Haku. You have to get up. They'll kill you if they find out who you are. Get out of there now, while you still have the chance." _ Came a sharp, slightly irritated command from somewhere near him.

Haku didn't question the voice that guided him; he'd never question his sensei's teachings. He'd lived too long by the words that the jounin had forced into his head since the first day they'd met. If one of Zabuza's most basic lessons was setting off his flight or fight response, then he wouldn't ignore the feeling or the words. He forced himself to get out of the bed and staggeringly bolted for the door.

"Hey there, little one, where do you think you're going?" Came the confused and slightly annoyed voice of the older version of Naruto.

Haku didn't listen, just went straight for the door, and ran as fast as he could force his near exhausted body to go. His speed was the one thing he prided in himself over everything else. He'd never had much in the way of physical power like his sensei, so he'd made up for it with speed, cunning, and several-advanced jutsu.

_'I'm too weak to fight. Have to run. Don't stop don't look back. Just run. Don't stop, don't stop don't-'_ His mental ranting stopped as he plowed into another person. This person grabbed him by the arms and held him tightly so that he wouldn't topple over. His strength gave out then. Only the power radiating from the man in front of him and a pair of steadying hands kept him on his feet. Haku barely had the chance to look into a pair of dark red eyes before Naruto caught up with him.

"Hey you caught her! Thanks a lot there, man. She's an outsider, wandered in right past the ninja at the gates."

"He."

"Wha?"

"I said he, dobe. You said she, and this one's a male."

"No way, you're kidding me."

"Hn."

Haku allowed himself to fall forward against the red eyed shinobi in front of him. At least he didn't have to run anymore. He wasn't too sure how safe he was with this new ninja, but at least this one could tell the difference between a girl and a boy. He could feel the body of the other man stiffen before the hands at his arms shifted to his waist and he was switched up into the person's arms. "Our allies are becoming lax in their duties. He's ready to pass out, Naruto."

"Yeah, I know. He collapsed in front of me near the training grounds a few days ago, so I brought him to Sakura-chan to get him fixed up. Figured he was a genin."

The news of how long he was out shook Haku's entire body. He'd been at their mercy for **_how _**long? That was a disturbing thought by itself, but even more was the increasing feeling he was getting that he wasn't safe here. His instincts had never failed him before. He knew better than to ignore them. If his instincts told him that he still wasn't safe, then he probably wasn't. He forced himself to focus on what was going on. He couldn't fight now, but he could make sure he knew what was going on.

The as of yet unnamed young man snorted loudly. "Not likely. He's too old to be a genin. Chuunin possibly, maybe even a jounin."

"A.N.B.U. actually."

Red eyes looked down to him. "Excuse me?"

"I'm an anbu, a tracker ninja. My partner and I were on a mission in the Mist country and we met with resistance. I don't know where he is, but I remember taking a hit for him and then nothing but pain. Somehow, I ended up here." Haku spoke softly, only leaving out a few choice points of the story that would have exposed him, and ultimately killed him.

"Sasuke Uchiha, you put those away right now!" Came a sharp, clearly feminine voice from somewhere beyond his sight.

The red eyes above him faded to dark black. "Sorry. Just got back from a mission, guess I forgot. My fault, but I don't think he really cared too much, Sakura."

"He?" Sakura asked, sounding just as confused as Naruto had a few minutes ago.

"I'll explain it later. This person that I'm currently carrying is an anbu, possibly from the Village Hidden in the Mist."

"But, Sasuke, we're at war with Hidden Mist."

"I know."

"He doesn't have any identifying marks on him."

Sasuke shifted Haku slightly in his arms. "Left arm, near the shoulder. He's marked as an anbu."

"How do you-"

"Short sleeves. Saw it when I picked him up."

"Oh."

"He's a long way from home then, isn't he?" Naruto asked, finally pushing himself back into the conversation.

"Yeah, he is. There's no telling why he's here, or how he got past the guards, especially since he has little to no chakra left in his body."

Haku's mind finally caught up with him. Somehow, he'd managed to wander straight into the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Moreover, he'd managed to land himself with the three people most likely to remember who he was. These three were all likely jounin by now, and all of them trained by one of the most notorious shinobi that ever lived. Kakashi Hatake was no fool. He'd have trained them very well. Even the sole kuionichi on his team was likely to have more than a few tricks up her sleeve.

"I….I seek sanctuary." He spoke the words carefully; knowing that he littlest slip of the tongue would see his head rolled onto the floor. These three were dangerous, the two men more so than the woman, but still dangerous as a team or as an individual. "I am no longer under the command of the Mist Country. I am a missing nin, a rouge ninja. My partner is likely dead, and I have no gear and no headband to mark me for what I am."

"You asked first for your sensei when you woke up. What is the name of your sensei? And is he also your partner?" Sakura asked, all business now that they knew for sure that Haku was from Hidden Mist.

"A good shinobi never reveals the name of his or her partner to the enemy if they are captured." Haku quoted his sensei word for word, knowing the lesson applied to the situation.

"Fair enough, but we still need to know if we should be looking for one body or two."

"One, my sensei was also my partner as an anbu. You're also not likely to find his body. We were separated far away from here." Haku once again gave forth the information after pulling out any identifying points.

"Right…So there's not likely to be a vengeful anbu coming here looking for you then."

"He was only a jounin."

"Hmm? Now that is interesting. Usually, two anbu are set as partners for high ranked missions. Its unusual for a jounin to be sent along side an anbu." Sasuke said, his even voice coming from just over Haku's head.

Sakura nodded, now within Haku's field of vision. "That's true, but if they really were a set of partners then it's likely that he just surpassed his sensei. Am I right?"

"My sensei never much cared what level they called him. He wasn't much for the levels of shinobi. As long as he was strong enough to destroy our enemies, nothing else mattered."

"Hey, uh…. I hate to interrupt this question and answer session, but… Well, what's his name?" Naruto asked from where he stood on the other side of Sakura.

Now three pairs of eyes landed on the ailing anbu. He had been avoiding giving out his name, a blatant refusal to recognize a known custom among all shinobi. When entering another village, it was customary to give ones own name before being allowed to know the names of those around you. Haku already knew their names, but he had not given his own.

"Well? What do you call yourself?" Sasuke asked him directly, issuing the greeting required between shinobi.

A different voice kept him from having to answer. "I'd think it was pretty obvious who he was. It's been a few years, but I'd recognize that one anywhere. Strange to see you here, since you're supposed to have died over five years ago."

"Sensei?" Naruto asked.

"He's only noted in the bingo book as being one of the youngest shinobi to reach the position of A.N.B.U. The kid you're carrying right now, Sasuke, is Haku. Age fourteen, anbu from the Village Hidden in the Mist. He's the partner of Zabuza Mamochi. Counted as dead as of team 7's first official mission."

That's it.

Hope I kept everyone in character.

Sorry I took so long, but college has been keeping me really busy lately.

As for why Sasuke is in the village…Well, for the sake of my plot I'm going to say that he did leave with Orochimaru after the chuunin exams, but that he came back to the village a year later and was allowed to return as a chuunin. If that doesn't make any sense then I'm sorry, but that's my story and I'm keeping it.


	3. Old Enemies

Previously:

_A different voice kept him from having to answer. "I'd think it was pretty obvious who he was. It's been a few years, but I'd recognize that one anywhere. Strange to see you here, since you're supposed to have died over five years ago."_

_"Sensei?" Naruto asked._

_"He's only noted in the bingo book as being one of the youngest shinobi to reach the position of A.N.B.U. The kid you're carrying right now, Sasuke, is Haku. Age fifteen, anbu from the Village Hidden in the Mist. He's the partner of Zabuza Mamochi. Counted as dead as of team 7's first official mission."_

Chapter Three: Old enemies…

Four pairs of eyes were on him. One was watching him with little interest, as was usual for the copy ninja. The others were looking at him with something akin to shock on their faces. Even the normally nonchalant Sasuke looked surprised to discover his identity.

"You…You can't be Haku. Haku was older than we were when we met him, and you're younger than we are. So, there is no logical way that he is who you say he is, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura said matter of factly, sticking to what she knew.

"True, Sakura-chan. Haku **_was_** older than the three of you, and even older than Neji and his teammates. But you must take into account that he's been officially dead for over five years."

"Sensei, no one can come back from the dead, it's not possible. Not even by the strongest shinobi. You just can't cheat death. Once you're dead, you're dead and that is that."

Kakashi shook his head at the pink haired kuionichi. "Not entirely true, Sakura-chan. There are those ninja that have the ability to put themselves into a death like state, allowing them to pass as a casualty during a brutal battle. Remember Kabuto, that young medic ninja that worked for Orochimaru during the chuunin exams? Well, he had the ability to make himself seem as though he was dead. He even fooled me, an elite ninja."

Sasuke spoke up finally, having watched his teammate flounder for an explanation. "That is true, Kakashi-sensei, but we all saw Haku die. He took a close range attack that you were intending to use on Zabuza. It killed him instantly, and impeded you during the fight until you managed to get his corpse off of your hand."

Kakashi blinked his one visible eye slowly, not saying anything to that.

Haku squirmed in Sasuke's arms, trying desperately to free himself from the much older version of the boy he nearly killed five years ago. Sasuke barely acknowledged the struggles of the smaller shinobi he was still carrying.

Finally, the tracker ninja had had enough. "Set me down! I am not a genin!"

The outburst brought everyone's attention back to the injured mist ninja. Sasuke leaned over and let Haku gain his feet then moved to stand in a defensive position with his two teammates.

Haku brushed imaginary dust from his shoulders. "Thank you. I don't enjoy feeling like an invalid in the presence of my enemies." He rolled his shoulders and the leaf team drew out their weapons, each one going for his or her most useful tool.

Haku held his hands up in front of himself. "Easy there, you four. Please, just calm down. I am at the mercy of this village, a prisoner of war. I have no weapons with which to defend myself, and little chakra to escape. You have nothing to fear from me."

Kakashi was the first one to come out of his fighting stance. He pulled his headband back down over his left eye and ran a hand through his silver hair before he spoke. "Stand down, team. He's not getting away from us now."

Sakura eased out of her stance, slowly putting the kunai she'd drawn back into its pouch before she cautiously came to stand next to her sensei. She had tended Haku's wounds when Naruto had found him. She felt responsible that he was even standing there now. He could have died if she'd just left him alone, but that wasn't in her nature.

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a wary glance at each other then nodded and came out of their respective stances at the same time. Sasuke's eyes faded back from the Sharingan red that they'd bled to when he'd taken his stance while Naruto quickly put all but one of the weapons he'd drawn away.

Haku had eased his raised hands back to his sides to try to look as harmless as possible. He knew to play it safe until he could steal a weapon from someone here and escape. Until then all he could do was bide his time and hope the Kohana ninjas were merciful on him.


End file.
